SCHOLASTIC GIRLS SOCCER: Kingston ready to compete in tough division

KINGSTON >> When it came to wins and losses, last year’s Kingston High girl’s varsity soccer season may have been a little rough, but coach Amin Elashker saw plenty of things from his players that he liked.

The team had six seniors who graduated last year, but there are 11 players who are returning this year.

Seniors Tori Guardino and Grace Neilson were voted as captains this year, and the team also includes seniors Shadia Abidi, Molly Cherny, Alexis Lattin, Sierra Russel, Grace Shumway and Sianna Vandyke.

The Tigers also have added five new players, including two sophomores; Grace and Lizzy Dimuccio, and a ninth grader, Kate Lord.

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“They are very good players, very capable,” said coach Amin Elashker. “They’re fantastic athletes.”

This is a season where the team can take a few steps forward, according to Elasker.

“I expect that everybody is going to step up this year,” Elashker said. “We had a great season last year, though our record wasn’t the greatest. We always aspire to do better. I think we’re going to do much better this season.”

Elasker said that one of the things that the team is focusing on is remaining competitive on the field and he thinks that the team has all the elements to that this season.

“There’s a lot of great teams out there that we play against,” said Elashker. “We are in a very strong and competitive league and division. The challenge is just to be consistent and hopefully do well game in and game out.”

One challenge the girls have already overcome is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Each one of the girls on the team took on the challenge on August 23 after practice, braving the ice cold water to raise awareness for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Even coach Elsahker took part in the challenge, though the team dumped a larger ice bucket on him. In addition to donating $50 to the ALS foundation, they also challenged the boy’s soccer team, the football team and Kingston athletic director Glen Maisch.

The girls open their season at Washingtonville on Friday, and play two more games on the road before their home opener at Miller Middle School on September 15, when they host Newburgh Free Academy.